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Fertility and the Menstrual Cycle

^{A person’s uterus is located in the abdomen next to the stomach. The uterus is involved with menstruation.}

^uterus

^stomach

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Average menstrual cycle is about 28 days, but varies widely from person to person.

Menstrual periods usually start between the ages of 9-15.

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Each month, an ovary releases an ovum, �or egg, into the fallopian tube.

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While it’s traveling, if the ovum unites with a sperm and implants in the uterus, a pregnancy �can begin.

FERTILIZATION

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If the egg does not unite with a sperm within 24-48 hours, it will dissolve and be reabsorbed by the body.

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To prepare for a potential pregnancy, each month the uterus grows a thick lining to create a good environment for the potential fetus. (A “fetus” is what a baby is called before it’s born.)

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If the egg and sperm do not unite, hormones signal the uterus to prepare to shed the lining causing someone to menstruate or have “a period.”

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Menstruation, or having “a period,” is when the uterus rids itself of the lining because there was no fertilized egg.